Vacuum cleaner



A. 0. wAssALL 2,015,772

VACUUM CLEANER Filed May 22 1933 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

4926212 2 WiddaZ' Mai? til Patentedv Oct. 1, 1935 UNITE A 2.015.112 vacuum CLEANER,

Allen D. WassalL Wofcester, Mass., assigno'r to Sweeper-Vac Company, :Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 22, 1933; Serial No. 672,109 1 Claim. (Cl. 183-36) This invention relates tovacuum cleaners, and more particularly to a machine having a porous filter bag arranged to collect dust which is delivered thereto in an air blast.

It has been proposed heretofore to form the bag for such a machine from some cheap material, such as paper, so thatthe bag can be burned or otherwise disposed of after use without the necessity of emptying the dust therefrom. However, these prior constructions have not proven' satisfactory in all respects. With certain arrangements the bag frequently cracks open and allows the dust to escape during the operation of the machine. Certain other constructions are complicated and expensive, and still others lack .a satisfactory means to prevent the accumulated dust from dropping back into the fan casing of the machine and thus clogging the operation.

It is accordingly one object of the invention to' provide a simple and inexpensive construction for a vacuum cleaner, which is so arranged that the filter bag may be formed of a comparatively cheap andlweak material such as paper, and yet the bag may be used for a considerable length of 'time without breaking.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a simple and inexpensive construction which will automatically prevent the dust accumulated in the filter bag of a vacuum cleaner from dropping back into the fan casing of the machine' With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art, my invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claim appended hereto.

The household vacuum cleaner as ordinarily constructed is provided with a hinged operating handle which can be swung through a considerable angle in a vertical plane, and this handle serves to support a filter bag which is connected to the fan discharge nozzle of the machine. I have discovered that the frequent cracking of the bagwhen the latteris formed of weak material is caused primarily by the repeated flexing of the bag as the handle is moved up and. down, and I have overcome this difliculty by providing a comparatively short flexible tube between; the fan nozzle and the open end of the bag. The parts are so arranged that when the handle is moved the tube will bend and thus prevent any flexing or buckling of the bag. If desired the bag may be reinforced by a stiff wire or any other suitable means to prevent it from bending. The flexible tube is preferably so constructed that it will collapse when the machine is stopped and the weight comprises a fan casing 20 of the bag will cause the rear or discharge and of the tube to drop down below the fan discharge nozzle, thus automatically forming a trap which prevents the return of dust to the fan casing. L Referring now to the drawings illustrating one 5 embodiment of the invention and in which like reference numerals indicate like parts,

Fig. -1 is a side elevation of a vacuum cleaner, with the handle lowered and the motor running;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section in I through the flexible connecting tube;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the inlet end of the connecting tube;

Fig. 4 is a. detail of a clamping ring;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the filter l5 bag, shown deflated, the section being taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1, with the handle raised and the motor running;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 1, with the handle 20 raised and the motor stopped; and

' Fig. 8 is a, view similar to Fig. 1, with the handle lowered and the motor stopped.

The embodiment illustrated in the drawings provided with the usual :25 laterally flared suction nozzle 2| which extends downwardly at the front of the machine, and the usual discharge nozzle 22 which is directed rearwardly and at a slight upward inclination at one side of the machine. An electric motor 24 is fas- 32) tened to the rear of the fan casing, and a suitable fan (not shown) is mounted on the front end of the motor shaft and arranged to revolve at high speed within the fan casing. Wheels 25 are shown beneath the motor to support a portion of the weight thereof. An operating handle 26 is hinged to the motor and fan casing assembly and extends rearwardlyv therefrom, being free to swing up and down in a vertical plane as is cus- J this purpose the bag may be provided with a loop 3| at its. rear or closed end which engages a hook 5o 32 on the handle. The bag 30 is preferably formed of some suitable material; such as a porous paper, which is cheap enough to be destroyed without emptying the dust therefrom, but it will i be apparent to those skilled in the art that my 55 invention has certain desirable features irrespective of the material from which the bag is made.

I have discovered that if a filter bag formed of paper or a similar fragile material is connected directly to the discharge nozzle 22, the wall of the bag will crack open after a comparatively short period of use. I have furthermore discovered that this difliculty is caused by the bending or flexing of the bag as the handle 26 is swung up and down during the operation of the machine. In order to avoid this bending action, I provide a comparatively short flexible tube 34 which connects the discharge nozzle 22 with the front or inlet end of the bag, the various parts being so arranged that during the movement of the handle 26 the tube 34 will bend and the bag will remain substantially rigid. This tube may be formed of any material having the required strength and flexibility. For example, a suitable cloth may be used, and this cloth may be rubberized or otherwise rendered non-porous, although this is not essential.

The tube 34 may be permanently attached to the nozzle 22, but I prefer to make these parts separable and to provide a construction so ar- .ranged'that it may be readily applied to vacuum cleaners of the ordinary type which are already A suitable means is provided for releasably connecting the rear end'of the tube 34 to the bag 30. For this purpose the tube issecured to a sleeve 42 by a wire 43. This sleeve is inserted in an inlet neck 44 formed on the front end of the bag 30, and the neck is clamped tightly against the sleeve by meansrof a clamping ring 46. As shown in Fig. 4, this ring is" provided with overlapping ends which can be drawn together by means of a bolt 41 and wing nut 48. In order to ensure that all transverse bending action will ,be taken up by the" tube 34 rather than by the filter bag 30, I propose to reinforce the bag by some suitable means. For this purpose I have shown a stiff wire or rod 5'0 (Fig. 5)

sewed into the bag and extending along the upper margin thereof.

Vacuum cleaner filter bags as heretofore constructed have frequently included a tube connected to the inlet of the bag and extending into the interior of the bag for the purpose of forming a'trap to prevent the dropping back of accumulated dust when the cleaner motor is stopped' Such a trap adds to the cost of the bag, and

hence is particularly undesirable if the bag is to' With my improved con- .dustirrespective of the handle position.

tor is stopped the tube 34 will collapse, and the weight of the bag and accumulated dirt will cause the outlet end of the tube to drop below the nozzle 22. In order to facilitate this action,

I preferably elongate the hook 32 or provide some other simple construction which will allow the. bag to move downwardly a slight distance toward the nozzle 22 when the motor is stopped and the air pressure in the bag is relieved.

The operation of the invention will now be ap- 1 parent from the above disclosure. The motor 24 is started, the fan draws dust laden air through the nozzle 2| and discharges it through the nozzle 22 and tube 34 into the bag 30. The dust-remains in the bag and the air passes through the porous 15 walls of the bag, there being suiiicient resistance to the air flow to create a slight back pressure on the fan. This back pressure inflates and distends the bag and the tube 34, so that in normal operation these parts will assume the positions 20 shown in Fig. 1. If now the handle 26 is swung upwardly as shown in Fig. 6, the tube 34 will bend and there will be no buckling of the bag. If the motor is stopped the air pressure in the bag and tube will be relieved, so that the tube will collapse 25 and the bag will drop into the position shown in Fig. 7. If the handle 26 is lowered, the parts will assume the positions'shown in Fig. 8. At no time will there be any buckling or flexing of the'bag, and whenever the motor is stopped the tube 34 30 will form a trap and prevent dropping back of the When considerable dust has accumulated in the bag, the bag can be disconnected from the tube 34 by loosening the clamping ring 46, and the bag 35 and dust can then be burned or, otherwise disposed of. I l

The construction is simple and inexpensive, and has been found of great practical value, particularly in connection with filter bags of paper 40 or similar weak materials.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A vacuum cleaner comprising a motor and fan 45 casing assembly having a. rearwardly directed discharge nozzle, a handle hinged to the assembly and extending rearwardly therefrom, the handle being movable in a vertical plane, a filter bag arranged in substantial axial alignment with the 5 discharge nozzle, ,connecting means between the handle and the rear end of the bag which supports the bagand yet allows a limited axial movementthereof, a comparatively short flexible tube secured at one end to the discharge nozzle, and means to secure the other end of the tube to the front end of the bag, the parts being so constructed and'a'rranged that upon stopping of the motor the bag will move toward the discharge nozzle and the tube will collapse, thus forming a trap which will preventthereturn of dust to the fan casing.

'- ALLEN D. .WASSALL. 

